Friday, April 24, 2009

The world, the rock stars, the rappers, Obama, the democrats, the republicans, and even most of the Christians ...are all telling you that you can and should have it all. Money is the answer. If you could just make enough to secure that retirement and live comfortably on the beach then you'd be happy. Some of us even say to ourselves that if only we had a little more than we'd be able to be more generous to charities or to church.But here's the truth.. If you aren't generous when you have a little, you will be even less generous when you have a lot. Becoming wealthy does not make you generous. Generosity is a attribute that we must have as a lifestyle.. it doesn't come as a free gift along with your money.

I have no desire to be wealthy. I have read my Bible and I know that Jesus said it is harder for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven.. And as John Piper points out.. a camel CAN'T pass through the eye of the needle.

I want to suffer NOW, not later! Don't think it strange either because the Lord promises us we will suffer in this life. And I feel a little guilty doing that anyway because truth be told I find joy in the struggle. I find it a miracle to see how God gets me through some really rough times. If I obtain wealth then I start to believe that I have done it myself. And I know for a fact that without Christ I am a failure that is to be pitied. But because of Him I am headed for excellence.

So world, you can have your wealth. Mine is coming later. The big difference is that my treasure is going to have quite a bit longer shelf life.

I don't want to be wealthy. I don't want to store it up. Tell Obama to keep his bailout.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

I am not a sage nor do I claim to have any wisdom beyond the ordinary. But I think I have found the formula for living a simple life. My early teens through my mid-twenties were a rocky and anxiety filled time. I did not transition smoothly. So here is what I do now...

* Know who you are, and who you are not. If you spend your life trying desperately to climb the ladder of success then you will just end up tired and unhappy. I got off that ladder and decided that wherever God placed me I would work hard to make myself at home there. I'm not a good ladder climber.

* Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff. Just take the day as it comes. If your rent is overdue, find a way to pay the late fee and move on to the next thing. Don't let any one thing bring you down, ever.

* Learn to be happy without wealth or prosperity. We forget that just 30 years ago, not only did we not have the best computer toy on the market.. we had NO computer.. and we survived just fine. Now even the poorest among us live like kings and we still think we are entitled to more.

* Don't rely on the government for anything. I don't care who is in office.. give them an inch and they will take a mile.. Quit asking for fish and go learn to fish.

* Find truth and God! The establishment wants you to believe you are a mistake of accidental cells and atoms. If you truly believe that with all your heart than mourn for your miserable existance.. If like the rest of us, that answer is not sufficient, then search and find truth and when you find it plant your anchor and stand on it proudly.

* Finally... laugh. Laugh even when things are at their worst and there is nothing funny going on. Just find a way to laugh.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Socialism is creeping it's way in due to our Commander In Chief who is no longer hiding the fact that he wants to take money from some and give it to others. Money WE earned ourselves.. OUR money! And instead of asking or building voluntary charity programs he is giving it to people who already live like kings compared to most other countries in this world. It's communism 101! Or government enforced mediocrity. From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs? Which means probably someday soon we will all be government employees.

And you kiddos who think communism is neat? There are hundreds of millions of dead people who were either starved to death or executed that probably would have disagreed with you.